Silenzio
by 2p-talian
Summary: A great war has destroyed most of the world. One young man is reborn from the ashes and must overcome his own death to regain control of his land or face dire consequences.
1. Rebirth

**Well, I plan on this being the last (and longest) story I type about 2p Italy... maybe, I might decide to write some more (if I get enough people liking this one and the other two) but I'm not sure. Please, review it and tell me what you think. This is kind of a bit of a rough draft so I will be going back and making changes so if you like it enough, favorite and follow please and thank you. Hope you enjoy.**

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><p>The golden dawn kissed the broken earth, casting shadows upon the ground. A gentle sun rose into the sky like a mighty giant. All across the land, ruins lay scattered from a relentless war. Buildings were reduced to rubble, and bodies peppered the ground. The smell of burnt soil and skin hung in the air like fog. All was silent, except for few lucky survivors walking in between the carcasses, looking for signs of life.<p>

"Another dead one over here." An old farmer called out. With the help of his sons, he moved the body into a freshly dug hole. Person after person, they began to clean the field. It seemed as if they were getting nowhere. As soon as one body was buried, another one was found. They cleaned for days, getting seemingly nowhere. The land that was once a town was now dust. Rock, wood, metal, and glass littered the ground. Everything was burnt to a crispy black color.

"Father, one of them is alive!" One of the sons yelled. Everyone ran over to check on the poor man. His back was moving up and down slowly. The farmer turned him over, and almost fainted at the sight. Where his stomach used to be, was nothing but a hole, filled with maggots other insects. The family ran from the sight. The old farmer sprinted to the nearest tree and vomited. The stench arose from the body and filled the air. The family quarantined it and stayed as far away as possible.

For almost a week they continued to clean and search. They looked over the bodies for any supplies that could be of use. Watches, shoes, and anything else that could be salvaged. At the end of each work day, the family would regroup and eat from cans that lay scattered across the area. The next day, they awoke with the sun and continued to clean. This was no way to live, but eventually, they could clean up the field and use some of it for growing crops. The old farmer was still unwilling to part with the land. He kept hope that they would find a way to survive.

On the first day of the second week, they found a stray dog. Its ribs were showing through its fur. A horrible smell followed the mutt. There was patches of blood around his mouth where he had been feeding on the bodies. The poor creature was sick and dying. The family grabbed an old log from a pile. With a swift swing, they put the animal out of its misery. The search continued in complete silence. Hundreds of bodies were carried to piles and burned, others were buried.

That afternoon, they had tall fires raging in different spots. The flames licked the flesh from the bones, then, turned them black. The family could do nothing but watch as the people they once knew were reduced to ashes that floated with the wind. Smoke filled the air, choking the family with the stench of death. They had to abandon their own fires in order to keep breathing. A few of the boys watched from a distance to make sure the fire wasn't out of hand, but even then, would it matter? There was nothing for it to burn anymore. Buildings were completely destroyed. there was nothing left to catch on fire.

By the fourth day of the second week, the family was running out of places to put the dead. There were still thousands of bodies involved in the massacre, and nowhere to put them. The family noticed the bodies were starting to bloat and turn purple. Vultures swarmed the area, enjoying a feast upon the flesh. Pests filled the field, doing what mother nature intended them to do. It got to the point that the family could no longer move the bodies. They would just fall apart at the touch. They gave up cleaning. Nature would do its course and destroy the decay.

There was no more supplies left. The family had began to fight over resources like food and water. They lived like animals now. Their world had been destroyed. No matter how badly they wanted it, their old lives would never return. They were no longer Italian citizens anymore. They were just a few homeless beggers. looking for their next meal. One of the sons saw this, and couldn't live with that fact. In the middle of the night while everyone else was asleep, he grabbed a sharp piece of glass and cut open his wrists. He allowed himself to bleed out as he lay in one of the body holes, waiting to be buried in the morning.

At the end of the second week, the rest of the family decided to move on. There was nothing left for them there anymore. Their house was destroyed, forcing them to sleep under the cover of stars. They had already buried or burned all of their friends and family, or at least, as many as they could before the rotting set in. They would stay one more day to gather supplies, then they planned to journey to the north, where hopefully they would find refuge. However, most of them believed that they were the only ones left. All other human life had been wiped out. They could search around the globe, and not one person would be left standing. They were truly alone.

Early in the morning, all of them spread out across the obliterated town on one last supplies run. The old man's niece walked around, trying not to look at the faces of the dead. As she walked, she muttered a prayer under her breath. Pieces of glass crunched underneath her torn shoes. Her body was covered in sores from the bombings. She was lucky to be alive. Just before the final bomb hit, she ran from her house. She had just enough time to arrive at her grandfathers house before the bomb went off. It was just them now. She didn't have any parents, or siblings. Everyone was gone.

"O God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help us, in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront one another without hatred or bitterness, and to work together with mutual forbearance and respect; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen" She mumbled under her breath. More glass crunched beneath her foot as she took small steps. She walked through the maze of collapsed buildings. It wasn't long before she began to let her mind wonder. Her mind wasn't keeping track of where her feet were, and eventually, she made it near the bombing site. _  
><em>

"Dear lord... O God... Our father in heaven..." The young woman began. She sighed and sat down on a rock that had survived. "Do you even exist?" She looked up at the sky. A few fluffy clouds hung over her head, and behind them was a vast blue sheet. The sun was shinning brightly, causing the clouds to glow. "O-Of course you do. For who could create such beauty?" She whispered. Eventually, she rested her head in her hands. "Then again, what kind of God would force us to live like this... like rats in a sewer." She kicked a pebble. It rolled and found its way to a body near her.

It only took her a moment to recognize the outfit. It was a military uniform. She recognized the black shirt. He was part of the Italian army before it wasted away. If he was in the military, then that meant he had supplies. Her head shot up and looked around her surroundings. They were close to where the bombs were first dropped. She didn't have much time left before she started to feel the effects of the radiation. Quickly, she ducked down and ran over to the body, turning it over. Her hands ran over his coat, looking for pockets. She found a knife, a water canteen, some matches, and a picture. She stared down at the face. It was him while he was alive. He had light brown hair and eyes that matched. He looked like he was happy during his life.

Slowly, she started to say a prayer over the body. She began to gather broken pieces of wood for a fire. After a few minutes, she had him surrounded by the logs. Something still didn't seem right though. She wandered around, looking for the last pieces. It was as if she couldn't do it without some sort of flower wit him. She had to show respect. Eventually, she had to settle with using his knife to carve a flower into one of the logs. He wouldn't be needing the matches anymore. She lit one and finished her prayer. Gently, she put the picture on his chest and folded his hands over it. He looked peaceful in death. The woman hoped that his soul had found its way to heaven. She struck the match and looked up at the sky.

"And may the lord watch over you and guide you into his light. In Jesus name, Amen." She finished. Just as she was about to light the match, a few logs fell. "Darn it." She said softly. When she went to put the logs on the pile, the wind began to pick up, blowing out the match. The picture was almost blown from the body. The woman looked up at the sky. The fluffy, glowing clouds had turned sinister and dark. Lightning cracked across the sky, followed by the boom of thunder. She quickly gathered the items from her gathering, but noticed something strange.

She looked down at the man slowly. His chest was moving. Pink was filling in his cheeks, and slowly, that pink turned into a dark tan. His hair began to darken quickly, to a dark brown with a red tint. The woman cowered back against the rock she once sat on. A look of terror was glued to her face. Life was beginning to fill the dead body. The wind howled around them, swirling the dust around in clouds. Just when the woman was about to run, she heard something.

The man let out a slight groan. His head rocked back and forth, trying to wake up. He gave a loud gasp, as if trying to find air. Once it filled his lungs, he was breathing like any normal person. His eyes were twitching, not open yet. The woman stumbled over to him and looked down at were only a few differences and they were slight, but they were there. He had changed. This wasn't the same person that was just laying before her. He was alive, and a new human being.

"H-Hello?" the woman squeaked out. His head rolled towards her, facing her, but his eyes still refused to open. She saw his mouth open slightly. Quickly, she poured a bit of water from the canteen in his mouth. Water ran down his cheeks as he gulped it down. He panted as the canteen was removed from his mouth. Miraculously, his body began to move, starting with his feet and working its way up. The woman hunched over him eagerly.

The man opened up his eyes a crack. His vision was blurry, but there was a woman next to him. He blinked a few times before he fully opened his eyes. The woman's face went pale the moment she saw his eyes. She let out a loud shriek of fear and ran away from him. He sat up quickly, a little too quickly though. His head began to spin. His eyes wondered to where he saw the woman run to. There was a blurred image of her hiding behind the rock. She was shaking as she clung to the rough surface.

"L-Lucifer walks the earth." She muttered to herself. The man looked at her curiously and confused. He tried to stand up, but his legs were weak. There was a strange tingly feeling in them. Blood was still trying to find its way through the body. He began to stretch the parts of his body that he could feel, and eventually, he was able to sit up. His arm reached out towards her. He needed help. He couldn't stand up on his own. The closer he got to her, the more violently she began to shake.

"Back demon. Go back to the hell that you crawled out of. I shall not let the soul of the unholy one taint me!" She cried out. He winced a bit and rubbed his ears. They were so sensitive to even the smallest sound. "Crawl back to hell Lucifer. I am a child of God, and nothing shall change that." She exclaimed. Quickly, she began to pray loudly. He raised an eyebrow. The tingly feeling finally left his legs, so he stood up and walked over to her. His legs were like jelly still, but at least he could walk.

"What... are... you... doing?" He asked. His speech was slow, and hard to understand. His mouth was still a bit fuzzy on most things, but at least it was working at all. The woman screamed again. This time, her family heard it. The old farmer and his family came running to her aid. The moment they saw the young man standing in the field, completely unharmed, they dropped their make-shift weapons. All of their mouths hung open as their eyes rested on the miracle boy who survived the bombs.

"My boy, you survived the blast? But how? It happened just a few streets over from here?" The old farmer took a step closer to the new man. The woman ran towards her uncle and grabbed his shirt. He looked down at her and gently pat her back. His grip was firm and protective, but still gentle enough to be calming. "What has gotten into you, my dear?" He asked quietly, now petting the back of her head. Her voice and body were shaking. She was having a hard time getting the words to come out of her mouth.

"H-He didn't survive the blast. Grandfather, we must pray for our souls. Demons walk the earth." She cried out. Everyone had their eyes on her. "I saw him. He was as dead as the others, but as soon as the storm started, he came to life like a monster from a nightmare!" Tears filled her eyes as she spoke. Her cousins ran over to him and held him down. The poor young man stat under a pile of living people, scared and confused. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine that he was somewhere else. The only problem was, he had never seen anywhere else. This was the world he was born into.

"Boy, is this true?" The old man limped over to him and looked him over. There wasn't a single scratch on his body. He wasn't skin and bones like everyone else. He looked like he had never missed a meal in his life. His body was covered in muscle, and not a single rib was showing through. There was a bit of dirt on his face, but other than that, he was clean. He was impossible. There was no way he could be alive, yet there he was, standing before them.

"I... don't... know." He whispered. The old man lifted his head and tried to get a good look at him. His sons stood him up on his feet and held him firmly in place. Slowly, the young man opened his eyes and looked at the man. All at once, the people screamed. The loud noise made the man wince and close his eyes again. What was wrong with him? Whenever he opened his eyes, people ran in terror from him. He opened them again and could see around him. Quickly, one of the sons put his hands over them. The young man was surrounded by darkness. When the woman screamed again, he quickly closed his eyes like a turtle retreating into it's shell.

"You really are a demon." The old man said in a hushed voice. A few of his sons rang in with their input. "Lucifer has come for our souls." "May the lord have mercy on us." "God protect us from sin." Some of them mumbled out. Others began to pray. The young man opened his eyes again slowly and looked at all of them again. He could feel his mouth now. He could feel his tongue, his teeth, his lips. He slowly stretched his jaw out and made a few humming noises to get used to the sound of speech.

"Please, just listen to me." He said softly. All at once, the people started to yell at him. The young woman held up a cross, the boys all had their heads bowed in prayer. One of them even through a bottle at the young man. It barely missed his head by a few centimeters. The new young man cowered away from them. He didn't know what he did wrong to these people, but whatever it was, it must have been something big. Even if it was him who wronged them, how could he remember. He just woke up there. He didn't know who he was, where he was, what day it was, and why he was there. He was just as lost and confused as they were, perhaps more so.

"I don't know what you are talking about. I am not a demon. My name is not Lucifer. I am not the devil." He said quietly. The old man shook his head and held up a small piece of reflective metal. Silence hung in the air once again. The family was tensed up as they looked at the stranger. He looked at each of them carefully Finally, the young man stared at his reflection. Dark reddish brown hair, tan skin, one odd curl sticking out from the side of his head, and then he saw what the were seeing. His eyes were glowing bright magenta.


	2. Captive

The young man was curled up in a ball, surrounded by darkness. He heard talking all around him. Slowly, it got louder and louder. It was as if the voices were screaming at him, then, all at once, there was silence. Slowly, he opened his eyes, but the inky blackness was still surrounding him. When he tried to call out for help, the blackness filled his lungs, choking him.

The young man awoke with a scream. Beads of sweat were running down his forehead. He gently reached his hand up and felt his forehead. He winced when his hand brushed over a sore spot. His head was throbbing and his mouth was dry. He tried to stand, but he fell over instantly. His ankle had been tied to a tree. With a groan, he looked around for help. He was in a forest, surrounded by thick undergrowth. A few birds chirped near his head. When he looked up, he saw the sun filtering through the leaves. The smell of the earth rose up to meet him. It seemed to have a calming effect on him, despite his circumstances.

The bushes near him rustled a bit, and the young woman stepped out with her cousins and a few other survivors. The hostage looked up at them and down at his ankle. He didn't know what he did, but surely it must have been pretty bad. The men walked over and tied his other ankle and both wrists to the trees too. There was no point in resisting. He had no purpose to fight back. He stood still as he felt his arms and legs restricted from all movement. He heard the young girl praying again, clinging to a cross.

"You don't have to do that." He whispered. His throat cracking from dryness. The woman paused and looked at him for a second, then resumed her prayers. "Can I get some water?" The young man asked. She prayed louder. "Please, my throat is completely dry." He croaked out. Her voice rose louder still. "Miss, just a drink and then you then you can pray all you want. I just need some water." He looked up at her, their eyes meeting. "Please, just a bit of water." He said softly. The young woman blinked a few times then nodded. She headed to their makeshift camp and brought back a canteen filled with water. Gently, she put it up to his lips and tilted it. Her family watched silently, awestruck.

"M-My dear, are you okay?" The old farmer asked, gently putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him confused, then back down at the young man. She blinked a few times. Since when was she holding a canteen? Why was she giving him water? Slowly, she put the canteen down.

"I-I just... he was so thirsty." She whispered. After a few moments of standing in the quiet of the forest, she began to walk back to the camp confused. The young man cleared his throat. It was no longer cracking and hoarse. Suddenly, one of the farmers sons threw a punch right into the young mans gut. Unable to block the blow, he hunched forward and began coughing violently. He felt the air forced out of his lungs. His brothers ran to restrain him and keep him captive while he flailed, trying to get in another hit.

"What the hell did you do to her demon?! You hypnotized her! How dare you play such a dirty trick. Return to the hell that you crawled out of before I force you back!" The man yelled. He was carried off by his brothers, still kicking and screaming. The young man lay helpless by the tree. Carefully, the old farmer limped over to the young man. He lifted his shirt to get a better view of his injury. He gasped when he saw his stomach.

"My boy, your stomach..." The farmer stared at it in shock and awe. "Its fine... There are no bruises, marks, or... But he hit you right in the stomach. I saw it, you should be at least bruised or red." The farmer stared at him. "And you were out there for at least a week. We walked through those fields every day and you are the only one we found alive. But you aren't just alive... you are healthy. There wasn't a scratch on your body. You weren't starving or anything. My nice says you _were_ dead, but you were revived. God must have big plans for you." The farmer said in a soft voice. The young man looked up at him slowly. "What do we call you, man with magenta eyes?" The farmer whispered.

The young man thought for awhile. He didn't know his own name. Deep down he knew he had one. It was as if it were wiped from his memories. Did it start with an F? No, that wasn't it. Maybe his name really was Lucifer. It could be, but he wouldn't even know it. He tried to say something to the farmer, but it ended up being some useless stutters. The old farmer sighed and sat back against one of the trees.

"Poor man, you don't even know your own name. It must be hard being a sin. You don't have the light of god in your eyes." The farmer said quietly. The young man noticed a cross hanging from his neck. "I have a few questions for you sinner." The farmer said as he looked up at him. "First question, why are your eyes so... different? I don't think I have ever seen magenta eyes in all of my days on earth." The young man just shrugged. "Fair enough, next question, how did you survive the bombings, if you even survived at all?" Once again, the young man just shrugged the question off. "You really don't know? Alright, final question, why did the devil send you to us?" The farmer began to glare at him.

Yet another comment about being from hell. The young man felt an explosion beginning to happen inside of him. He felt anger deep in his heart. He didn't know why he was there, who he was, or where he came from. All he knew was that no matter what kindness he would ever show these people, he would always be the devils helper. If he couldn't win them with kindness, he would win them with fear.

"I am not from hell." the young man growled. "I am no devil or demon, but believe me when I say this, I can and will be your worst nightmare." the farmer cowered back in fear as the young man spoke. "I demand you release me from this rope, before I release myself and that is not what you want to happen." Terror filled the farmers eyes, but he shook his head. The young man gave a slight nod. With a sudden jerk, he pulled his right arm with the force of hundreds of men. The rope snapped under the presser. "Pathetic human," The young man paused. Why did he just refer to him as a human? Wasn't he a human too? He decided to play off of it and keep talking "did you honestly think you could keep me here forever?" The young man reached into the pocket of his pants and removed a knife.

"P-Please, have mercy on me." the farmer whimpered. The young man swung the knife, making the farmer scream. More ropes fell to the ground. He was free. The young man had escaped. He put the knife away and looked up at the sky. The sun had just reappeared from behind a cloud.

"Its a rather beautiful day." The young man said. He was calm, there was no anger in his voice or violence in his actions now. The farmer stared at him confused. With little or no difficulty, the old man could have been killed. The young man chose to set him free. "So, now that I am free, lets get to work. You are going to tell your family that you set me free and that I am a trustworthy person. I am not going to hurt you, that would take too much effort, and considering you are weak with brittle bones, that isn't very much effort." As the young man spoke, the old farmer gave shaky nods. "As for that young woman, I don't know what happened. I looked at her and she did what I said. I rather enjoyed it actually. It felt good to have someone listening to me properly for the first time since I arrived on this pathetic excuse for a planet. Tell me, what year is this?" The young man asked. If he was going to live in this world, he should at least know a bit about it.

"I-It's the year 1946." The old man responded quietly. The young man nodded. 1946, the world had just gotten out of a deadly war. Many millions of people were dead. But still, there were too many people to have just these few farmers alive in the world. The young man thought hard about it. Something was off. The bombs that were dropped weren't like the other bombs. If you got too close to them, then you got sick.

"Tell me farmer, what happened to everything? Where are the citizens? There should be more humans than this. I expected to arrive and be surrounded by people." The young man said quietly. Immediately afterwards, he wondered why he said it. He shook it off and looked to the old man for answers.

"W-well, there used to be more of us, but there was a war, and sickness." The old man said quietly. "I lost a few sons in the war, the others just got back before the bombs hit. Then, there was the sickness. Doctors didn't know what it was and it just showed up out of nowhere. Everyone who got it died though, there isn't anyone alive who is sick. The disease died with the last person in some African country. God rest their souls." the old farmer brought the cross to his forehead. The young man looked around at the surrounding trees.

"I am sorry for your loss, but we don't have time to mourn over their deaths. It is time to rebuild." the young man spoke with confidence. "All around you are the tools for a new society. How would you like to be known as the man who rebuilt the world?" The young man held out his hand to the old man.

"You wish me to make a deal with the devil?" The farmer looked at him for a few moments. After thinking it over, he reached out and took his hand. They had a deal. The young man smirked slightly and began to walk towards the camp.

"You will go down in history. What shall I call you to put down in the history books? Oh, and while you are at it, what is the name of that young woman?" The young man looked at the old man. He saw the poor farmer was still shaken up a bit.

"M-my name is Marzio Salvetti. And that young woman is my niece, Rosita." The farmer gulped as he spoke. The young man gave a slight nod and kept walking. "Have you remembered your own name?" The farmer asked.

"How can I remember something I never knew in the first place?" The young man said quietly. After a few minutes of walking in silence, they found the camp. It wasn't much more than a few tarps draped over tree limbs for makeshift tents. There was a small fire in the middle, surrounding it were a few survivors, including the old man's sons.

"You bastard, did you trick my father to set you free this time?!" One young man shouted. He stood up at walked briskly over to the two. His fists were clenched with rage as his eyes met the strangers.

"Romeo stand down." His father commanded. Romeo looked over at him confused and angry, then back at the stranger.

"No father, he has tricked you. He is nothing more than a snake in the grass." The young man admitted to himself that he would rather be called a snake than a demon.

"I wish to see Rosita." The young man said quietly. Romeo stared at him for a few moments, then swung his fist at his head. Unfortunately, the young man was now fully awake. There was no more lag from becoming alive. He had a reason to fight now. When the fist was a few inches away from his nose, he grabbed it and twisted hard. Romeo twisted with his arm and fell to the ground.

"Romeo, my son." Marzio kneeled down next to him. "You are such an idiot. I told you to stand down and you didn't listen to me." Romeo lay on the ground with the wind knocked out of him while his dad ranted to him about it. The young man wandered off around the camp, looking for Rosita.

He looked inside of a tent and saw her laying down. Silently, he slipped inside and sat next to her. She was sleeping peacefully. The young man let out a small sigh and leaned back. Slowly, her eyes opened and looked at her visitor. She wanted to scream, but at the same time, she knew that wouldn't do anything.

"What are you doing in here demon?" She whispered. He rolled his eyes at the question. "I asked you a question now answer it." She ordered. The young man kept his mouth shut. "Answer it this instant." She continued to order. The young man let his mind drift to other things. He didn't even know where he was. He figured, if anyone could tell him, it would be her.

"Where are we?" He asked quietly. She looked at him shocked, then angrily. "I have been here for at least a couple of hours and the only thing I know is that I am in a forest and that the year is 1946. But where am I? Usually that is pretty important information to have isn't it?" He looked down at her.

"We are outside the city of Milan, in the nation of Italy, in the continent of Europe, on the planet of Earth. Anything else you need to know?" She said with a sarcastic tone. The young man shrugged and looked around the tent. "Hey, I have something for you." She said quietly. The young man looked at her puzzled. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the picture she found with his body. "I found this with you back by the bombsite. You used to look like this, but then when you came to life you changed. I-I don't know what it means but... it must be important." She handed him the photo. The moment the young man touched the photo, his eyes grew wide with surprise.

"O-Oh my god..." He whispered. Quickly he flipped the picture over. There was writing scribbled on the back. _Feliciano Vargas, North Italy._ The young man got a splitting headache as if information was pouring into his skull. Rosita gulped and gently put a hand on his shoulder.

"Sir, is everything okay?" She asked quietly. The young man shook his head and looked at the picture. Everything made sense. He knew who he was, why he was there, and what he was supposed to do. "Sir? Demon? Whatever you are, are you alright?" Rosita asked again. The young man looked at her, his eyes were glowing again. It terrified her, but she stayed by his side.

"I have a name." He whispered. "I am not a demon, or a human. I am something new... I am a new species completely." He quickly grabbed a small broken hand mirror that Rosita had brought. "Well, not really new, there are others. Hundreds of others, and there were hundreds of others before us. We are just the new generation. Tell me Rosita, with the bombings and disease, did 90% or more of the population die?" The young man spoke quickly.

"W-well yes, I suppose so. There were a lot of deaths, but what does that have to do with this situation?" She asked curiously. None of this made sense. He didn't make any sense. His existence didn't make any sense. "Please tell me what is going on." She requested. The young man shoved the picture back into her hands.

"What does it say on the back?" He asked quickly. She read over the words quietly to herself a few times before answering.

"Feliciano Vargas, North Italy." She read aloud. He nodded quickly and took the picture back.

"Feliciano Vargas. He was me, but now I'm me, and he is dead, and wow my head is spinning." The young man passed out on the ground. Rosita stared at him for a moment before putting a pillow under his head and fanning his face.

"He has lost his mind." Rosita whispered. Her mind flashed back to when she first found him. She saw him change. He wasn't human, but at the same time, what else could he be? It only took him a few moments to reawaken.

"I know my name." He said excitedly. His eyes flashed towards her as he sat up. "And I swear to you that it is just a coincidence." He said quickly.

"What are you talking about?" She looked at him completely lost. He held up the picture once again.

"We have already established that this is Feliciano Vargas, correct?" He pointed to the smiling face. Rosita rolled her eyes.

"Sir, we have said that at least 5 times now, I know that mans name and at the moment, I don't care. What I want to know is what _your_ name is." She let out an aggravated sigh.

"Well you should care about your own old nation." The young man huffed. Rosita just looked at him even more confused than before. "I am northern Italy, and my name is Luciano Vargas." He said with a slight smirk, loving the sinister sound of his name.


	3. Escape

"I really wish you would just explain to me what you are talking about Luciano." Rosita sighed. "You keep talking about countries and all such nonsense but I don't understand any of it." The young girl put her head in her hands. Luciano held up the picture once again. They had been on the topic for over an hour now, and she just wasn't understanding it.

"That's me. Or at least, that was me, at some point. But he died, but because he was the same as me, he was reborn into me. Does that make any sense?" He asked her, leaning in close. She shook her head and scooted back a bit. He groaned and held the picture next to his head for a comparison. "We aren't human. We are called countries. His name was Feliciano Vargas, and he didn't just live in northern Italy, he was northern Italy... was..."

"I am afraid I still don't understand. So, what you are saying is, you are not even a human? But you look like one. How can you not be human. Are you an alien?" She backed away from him.

"What?! Are you crazy? I am sort of like a human, I'm just... A subspecies? Maybe..." Luciano stared at the ground as he spoke. He couldn't think of anything he could be. The only word he knew for it was country, and humans already had a different meaning to that word.

"Are there any more of you? I mean, if you are even telling the truth." Rosita crossed her arms. Luciano shrugged and looked at her. As far as he knew he was the only one in existence. If there were others, they probably died. There was a small ray of hope though. They could have been reborn.

"Will you help me find them?" He asked quietly. She stared at him for a moment shocked. He looked up at her, their eyes meeting."Please Rosita. I need your help." He whispered.

"I... I can't" she began, "I can't leave my family. They are all I have left." She felt something inside her begin to break as she spoke. Those magenta eyes had a hold on her. The longer she stared into them, the less she could resist. There was a longing desire to help him. She thought about it for a long time. Finally, her mind was made up. "We leave in the morning." She said quietly, finally breaking the gaze.

"Thank you." He let out a sigh of relief. "You should prepare your things now and say your goodbyes." He stood up outside the makeshift tent.

"No goodbyes. We leave first thing in the morning." She signed. "If we tell them where we are going then we will never get to leave. They won't let us. It has to be done in silence." She explained. Luciano nodded in understanding. "Well then, goodnight. I will see you in the morning." She pushed him out of the tent and hung a blanket between them.

"Goodnight then... I guess." He walked a little ways into the woods. He found a tall tree that reached for the heavens. Using the rope that was used to restrain him, he began to climb. Once he reached a wide, sturdy branch, he tied himself to the tree and began to sleep.

The first rays of morning Sun shined on Rosita's face. Her head was poking out of her makeshift tent. It was time now. Quickly and quietly, she gathered her belongings. Within the cover of a thick fog, she left the camp. The deeper she traveled into the woods, the darker it grew. She followed boot prints to the base of a massive tree, then they stopped. When she looked up to the top of the branches, she saw a brown shape resting on a branch.

"Luciano" she called out. The shape moved. It was him. Rosita looked on the ground for something to wake him. Resting against the roots of the tree was a stone about the size of her fist. She picked it up and threw it as hard as she could. Like a bullet, it sailed through the air, meeting its target a little too hard. Luciano let out a shriek and fell from the branch.

Rosita covered her eyes and looked away. Any moment she would hear the sick crack of bones and flesh against soil. It never came though. After a few seconds she looked up at the branch. Luciano was dangling helplessly by the rope around his waist. He saw Rosita on the ground 40 feet below him.

"Good morning" she called up, a small smile cracking at her lips. Luciano glared at her as he swayed in the breeze. The ground below him was swinging, making his head spin and his stomach turn.

"Oh yes, it is a fucking fantastic morning!" He called down sarcastically. He heard Rosita laughing on the ground. "I hate you!" He screamed down at her. She continued to laugh harder at him.

"So how are you going to get yourself down?" She asked once she caught her breath. Luciano was already working on his escape. He wrapped his legs around the branch until he stopped swinging. As quick as he could, he brought his knife out and began to cut the rope. Rosita sat on the roots and watched him. When the rope was almost cut, he put the knife away. Slowly and carefully, he put pressure in the rope by relaxing his legs.

"You are going to fall and kill yourself." Rosita called up. Luciano mumbled under his breath. Finally, the rope snapped. In the same instant, he grabbed the branch and pulled himself up. He walked to the trunk and began to climb down. Rosita watched him. When he was about ten feet from the ground, a thin branch snapped under him. He tumbled down the rest of the way and had the wind knocked out of him. When he reached the ground, he landed next to Rosita.

"Welcome back to earth." Rosita said as she stood up. Luciano glared at her from the ground.

"Once again, I hate you." He said softly when he could breath. Rosita nodded and threw some grapes on his sore stomach.

"Come on, we need to get going. The best place we can get help for you is up north quite a ways." Rosita explained, taking a map out of her bag.

"Oh yes, don't mind me. I only FELL OUT OF A GOD DAMN TREE!" he shouted at her. She rolled her eyes and smoothed out the map for him to see.

"this is where we are, right outside of Milan. We need to get up here to Vienna. Hopefully the nation Austria is still alive." She ran her finger up north too the other side of the small northern nation.

"Why can't we go here to Switzerland? It's a lot closer." Luciano questioned. Rosita shook her head.

"Its to late in the fall to even attempt to enter the mountains. If we head to Vienna, we can go around them, also, Austria was our allie in the war. Switzerland wasn't." Rosita guided her finger along the rout again.

"How long will this take?" Luciano asked her, looking at their destination.

"About a week."

"A _week!?_ We don't have a week we need to get there now." Luciano groaned and hit his head on the root of the tree.

"Sorry but that's our only option. We should stop somewhere and get some supplies for the journey. Its going to be a long trip." Rosita put her hands on her hips.

"Where is the nearest city?" He asked quickly. Rosita looked around them.

"Monteveccia is just south of us. It was spared from the big bombs. It seemed pretty intact when we passed through it for food." Rosita pulled out a different map of the area and pointed them in the right direction.

"Well we know where we are going first." Luciano stood and began walking in the direction with Rosita trailing behind him. Slowly, his walk evolved to a run. Rosita tried calling after him to slow down but he wasn't listening. He kept running faster and faster. When he looked behind him, he didn't see her. Unfortunately, he didn't look forward in time to see the house. He crashed into it, falling backwards and holding his now bloody nose.

"You didn't make it very far." Rosita snickered as she walked over to him. He glared up at her and moved his hand. "Oh my lord, your nose is broken." She bent down to get a better look at it. Blood was pouring down his chin. Rosita tore off a piece of her skirt and handed it to him. In a matter of seconds it was soaked.

"This has not been my lucky day." Luciano said as he tipped his head back. "How bad is it?" He asked as he moved the rag. His nose was bent at an awkward angle. Rosita felt a bit sick just looking at it.

"Doesn't that hurt?" She looked away from him. She was shocked to see him poking it with his finger when she turned around again. "Stop that." She ordered grabbing his hand. He began to poke at it with his other finger. "I told you to stop." She grabbed both of his hands. He went cross-eyed staring at his purple nose. "You are hopeless." She sighed and let go, standing up.

"This feels weird." Luciano grabbed his nose. "Is this what pain feels like? It's kind of throb-ish" He twisted, the cartilage snapping. Rosita let out a small scream and looked at him. After a bit of a late reaction, he let out a scream of pain. "SON OF A BITCH!" His nose was back in place. "OUCH!... holy shit, that's better." He stood up and walked into the road. "I thought we were going to a city, not few houses." Luciano crossed his arms and looked around.

"Hold on. You just broke your nose and... a-and just like that you fix it?" She was pale in the face. Luciano turned and looked at her. His nose was no longer purple, but was just slightly pink. The only thing left was the dried blood on his lip. "What are you?"

"Please, don't make me spend two hours on this again." Luciano whined. Rosita continued to stare at him. He began to wander through the streets. "Lets go find some food, I haven't eaten all day." As if on que, his stomach began to growl. Rosita walked to an old abandoned house. The windows were broken and the door was smashed.

"It looks like the place has already been cleaned out." She sighed. Luciano smirked and got low to the ground. His eyes were focused on a specific point. Rosita noticed his breath was shallow and his puples were dialated. He was an animal about to pounce on his prey. "Luciano?" Rosita's voice was cut off with a sharp shush. All at once, every muscle in his body tensed up. He slowly pulled a knife out of his pocket.

"I found food." He whispered. Suddenly, he jumped into a dead sprint. His arm raised and his knife flew from his hand. Rosita screamed when the knife buried itself in a rabbit's head. "There we go, breakfast." He walked over and picked up the fat rodent. " I'll clean it if you make the fire." He said as he carried the rabbit over to her.

"You... You killed it." Her face was pale. Luciano pulled the knife out.

"Yeah, that tends to happen when you hunt." Luciano said sarcastically. "We need more. This won't be nearly enough for both of us. Here, hold this." He shoved the dead animal into her hands. Before she could protest, he was back in the woods with his knife. Gently, she laid the rabbit in the street and began to gather wood.

Only 30 minutes later, he returned with another fat rabbit. Rosita had just gotten a small fire started. Luciano grabbed the first rabbit and walked to the side of the street. Rosita felt her stomach turn when she heard the cutting and slicing of flesh. After the rabbits were skinned and the meat was removed, Luciano walked back into the woods.

Rosita watched him walk away, covered in blood. Quickly she ran over to what was left of the rabbits and began to them. It took everything she had not to get sick in the process. As soon as she finished, she heard the bushes rustling. Luciano stepped out with two sticks. He had used his knife to sharpen the ends.

"Rosita, is the fire ready?" He called out as he walked over to her. Quick as she could, she ran back to the fire and put more twigs on it. The flames rose and blackened the bark.

"Yes, it's ready." She said shakily. Luciano glanced at her and began to gather the chunks of meat.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he began to stab the chunks of meat onto the sticks. She gave a gentle nod as she stared into the fire. "Rosita, we needed food, so I got some. It was either these rabbits died or you did." He said as he put the sticks over the fire.

"Its not that it's just... I've never seen something die before. When we were out in the fields, I hadn't seen them die so my mind just assumed they had always been like that but I saw the rabbit alive one second and dead the next." She saw the meat beginning to brown. "I guess I am just strange." She muttered. Luciano stood up.

"I uh... I am going to go gather some herbs." He said quietly. Rosita nodded as he walked away. She sat in silence, staring at the meat. Her mouth began to water. She had not realized how hungry she was. She waited for Luciano to return with the spices, praying he would get back soon.

Luciano wandered around the houses. There was no food or any spices left. Cabinet after cabinet he searched, finding nothing. He was just about to give up until he walked outside. The house had a large herb garden out back. He ran over to it and began to pick. His pockets where filled with rosemary, basil, thyme, and cilantro. He was beginning to walk back to Rosita, when he heard small noise. His head swung around, looking for the source.

"Hello?" He called out. Slowly, he brought the knife out for protection. He heard the noise again and began to move towards it. He saw a body on the ground. It was a woman in an old brown dress. Luciano walked over and gently turned her over. There was a trail of blood from her mouth down her cheek, and a bullet wound in her chest.

"Help me." She whimpered. Luciano jumped with surprise. He thought she was dead. Her eyes slowly cracked open to see his face. Swiftly, he knelt down and cradled her firmly in his arms.

"What happened?" He whispered softly. Her eyes closed and her breath began to get shallower. "Please tell me."

"Raiders." She mumbled. "In the woods. They are still there. Run. Get out of here. They came and ate-" she was cut off as uncontrollable tears began to run down the sides of her face into her messy black hair. Luciano stared down at her, then at his knife.

"Who are you?" He asked her quietly. "What is your name?" His finger gently brushed a few loose hairs away from her young face. After a few moments of silence, she answered.

"Alexandra." She whispered to him. "Are you an angel of death?" She asked as she gently put her hand on the side of his face. Luciano slowly nodded, as long as it kept the woman calm in her final moments. He felt the blood from her hand begin to drip down his face. "Please angel, end my pain." Her hand fell from his face onto the handle of the knife. "Send me up to our lord so that I may join him in the promise land." She whispered. Her breath was shaky and pain filled. Every moment she lived was spent in agony.

"I-... I can't." He said softly. He was at a loss of words. He couldn't bring himself to end her life. She was just an ordinary human living an ordinary life, but that is what made her extraordinary. His mouth hung open, waiting for his mind to think of something, anything, to give her hope. She opened her eyes again and looked at him closer.

"Feliciano, please save me." She whimpered. Luciano froze up. Before he had time to correct her, she was gone. Her blue eyes were lifeless and cold. All at once, a wave of emotion crashed into him. Anger, sadness, regret, fear, and relief filled his heart. Tears streamed down his face as he stared at her. She was gone. Maybe if he would have acted sooner, he could have saved her, or maybe if he had the strength, he could have ended her suffering sooner. Her body was placed on the warm ground in the sun while Luciano searched her house. He found a shovel, exactly what he needed. He put all of his strength into digging a grave for her. Once he was done, she was wrapped up in a blanket and placed gingerly in the hole. After awhile, he had her buried and a large rock was placed at the head of the turned up earth. He looked up and noticed the sun was pretty high up in the sky, and Rosita was left alone with the fire.

With the herbs in his pockets, he walked back towards their small fire. The smoke was billowing up towards the blue sky. He stared at the swirls of grey for a few seconds. When he left, it was just a small fire with twigs, and he knew Rosita wouldn't have made that big of a fire for rabbit. A warning flashed in his head. It was the same one Alexandra had given him. Raiders were in the woods. They could have seen them coming. Luciano broke into a sprint as fast as he could. A few moments later, the campsite was in view, but Rosita wasn't.


	4. Massacre

Luciano stopped dead in his tracks as he stared at the campsite. A small group of about 10 men were fighting like stray over the rabbit. His eyes flashed around the area looking for Rosita. It took a few seconds, but he found her lying on the ground on the other side of the men. She was not dead, just unconscious. Luciano held the knife firmly in his hand. He was willing to shed blood if he had to.

A couple of the men in front of him began to throw punches. A few moments later, they all joined in. This was his opportunity. Luciano ducked behind some bushes and began to run along the street. When he got a little bit further down, he crossed the road, praying that nobody would spot him. Once he was safely on the other side, he continued to run towards her. There was a jolt of relief when he saw she was breathing, and her eyes were towards him. He whispered her name hoping she would hear him. Unfortunately, her excitement was not returned. Her eyes were wide with fear and she began to shake her head slightly. Luciano had just begun to reach out for her.

"Luciano, run." She hissed. Before he could react, something hit him in the back of his head. He lay almost unconscious on the ground. His vision was a blur as the earth spun beneath him. A force lifted his body into the air and held him to the spot. The crowed of men gathered around him and stared at him. When he tried to move his feet, he realized that they weren't touching the ground. He let his head fall backwards and squinted in the sun to see what his restraint was. A large man was holding him to the spot. He had greasy black hair and brown eyes filled with hate.

"What should we do with him?" One of the men asked.

"We should just shoot him like the rest." A different man suggested. He got smacked in the back of the head by a slightly taller man.

"Nah, he might be of use to us." He said with a smirk.

"Now boys, did you honestly think you would make plans without me?" A new man walked towards the crowed. It was obvious that he was the leader with the amount of respect the others had given him.

"Sorry boss, we were just getting too far ahead of ourselves. It won't happen again." The first man said. The others mumbled apologies and backed away.

"Let me see our newest prizes." The man walked over to Rosita first. "Well damn, isn't she a doll. You haven't laid a finger on his poor girl have you?" The man asked as he gently ran his fingers through her hair. The men all shook their heads.

"We know the rules. You get the first time boss." The taller man said to him. The boss nodded and looked towards Luciano.

"Uh oh, looks like she already has a mate." The boss walked over to him and grabbed his cheeks. Instinctively, Luciano closed his eyes. He couldn't let them see who he was, not yet. The boss wiped a finger through the blood on his cheek. "Looks like you have had a hard day. Thanks for cooking lunch for us. That was so thoughtful of you." The boss laughed out. His henchmen joined him. "You know, usually when I tell a joke, people laugh. Don't you think that's funny?" The boss said threateningly. Luciano spit in his direction. Despite his momentary blindness, his aim was still rather good. The saliva landed on the bosses cheek. He wiped it away with disgust.

"Get out of here before I make you regret the day your whore of a mother gave birth to you in a filthy alley." Luciano growled. The men all fell silent and stared at him. The boss clenched his fist and threw it into Luciano's jaw.

"Do you have any idea who you are talking to!? Me and my family practically run this country!" the boss screamed. Luciano smirked a bit, then he started to laugh loudly.

"Oh yeah? And what family is that?" He said, still laughing in the mans arms. He felt the hand of the boss close around his throat.

"The Moretti family." the boss said sinisterly. "I am Alberto Moretti and you and your family answer to me, bombs or no bombs!" The boss yelled. All of the other men were backing away with fear. Nobody made the boss angry and lived. They didn't want to have to clean up the blood.

"Oh really? If you are that powerful, then why are you living on the streets, forced to spill the blood and eat the flesh of the innocent." Luciano opened his eyes and glared at him. The boss looked up at him, frozen with shock and fear. "Now, let me tell you about _my_ family. Nobody owns us. We are as free as we can get, and we don't need pathetic pieces of scum like you to give us orders." Luciano forced his arms outward, breaking the larger mans grip. He reached into his pocket for the knife. The moment he had his blade drawn however, the mob all brought out guns.

"Luciano, don't get yourself killed!" Rosita called out. The man nearest to her kicked her side to silence her. Luciano's magenta eyes turned dark with anger. He raised his arms into the air in front of them.

"Do it. Shoot me here and now. Just know this, he who fires the first bullet will be the first to fill these streets with blood." Luciano threatened.

"Hold on, before I kill you, tell me this. What is your family name that makes you think you are so special?" Alberto glared at him, gun cocked and ready to fire.

"Vargas family." Luciano said with a smirk. "Luciano Vargas." The boss froze for a second when he heard the name. It was familiar, but he couldn't place his finger on it. He gave up trying to think and snapped his fingers. Explosions from the guns rang through the streets. Bullets ripped through Luciano's flesh, splattering blood around him. The last thing he heard was Rosita screaming. He lay cold and lifeless on the ground. The mob laughed and put their guns away.

"Well then, there is one less piece of trash on the streets." Alberto walked over to the fire and grabbed a stick. He ate the rabbit while his men watched, pained with hunger. They were too busy distracted by food that they didn't notice Rosita. She began to crawl over to Luciano weakly, tears streaming down her face. When she reached him, she put her hands and head on his chest.

"Please wake up." She whispered. His face was beginning to pale. "You have to wake up, you idiot." She sobbed into his shirt. Without warning, Alberto dragged her away from the body.

"Now now young lady, we don't want those tears to spoil that pretty face of yours." Alberto said harshly as he wiped the blood off of her face. "He is nothing but dead trash, but you however are still alive, still breathing, and still young. How about you let me show you just how alive you really are." He whispered as he reached a hand up her shirt. It was as if she had been shocked back into reality. She swung her hand around, slapping him across the cheek.

"Get away from me you disgusting snake!" She cried out. Before anyone could react, she ran over to Luciano's body and grabbed the knife. "Stay the hell away from me." She quickly crouched down like Luciano had been when he was hunting for the rabbit. The men quickly had their guns aimed for her head.

"Boys please, this young doe is frightened. We just need to put our weapons away, and eventually she will come around." Alberto said with a smirk. "Here, I will be the first to show that we are on good terms with her." He took the knife and grabbed her arm. Roughly, he began to drag her towards a house. She screamed and fought against him but was no match. The men watched excitedly, laughing and cheering him on.

"LUCIANO WAKE UP YOU DUMB ASS!" She screamed at him. The men laughed harder at her. Alberto brought his hand down on her cheek, knocking her head to the side.

"He is dead and he is never going to wake up to you ever again, sweetheart." Alberto growled. Suddenly, the men stopped snapping. There was a strange cracking sound coming behind them, and the sickening sound of tearing flesh. Luciano's body was twitching violently. A few of the men took one look at the body and ran to the bushes to puke. "How did the rats get to him so quickly?" Alberto said disgusted. Suddenly, the twitching stopped.

"Luciano, please, please wake up." Rosita whispered. Alberto was too distracted by the horrific sight to hear her. Slowly, his body began to swell up. Only a few of the men could even watch at this point, the others were all getting sick. The holes in his skin were beginning to close, and the body moved back down. Then, it moved back up. He was breathing. Rosita had tears of joy streaming down her face. The few men who could watch were petrified with shock and awe. Luciano gasped and sat up, panting like he had just won a race.

"You know that feeling when you have a dream that you are falling and just before you hit the ground you wake up? Well imagine that, only with a gun." Luciano told them as he stood up. He began to pop his bones and stretch his muscles. "Damn, dying is exhausting." Luciano looked at Rosita. "What are you doing all the way over there? Come over here instead." He waved his hand for her to join him. As quick as she could, she ran over and hugged him tightly. He winced a bit and put a hand on her back. "C-careful, I'm pretty sore." He winced some more.

"I knew you couldn't be dead." She said as she hugged him tighter, ignoring his pain, then she backed away and slapped him across the cheek. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!" She screamed at him. He rubbed his cheek and looked at her, a bit scared.

"Hey, I can't help it if it takes awhile to heal a bullet... wait... hold on." Luciano began to cough violently. Something was trapped in his lungs.

"Are you okay?" Rosita asked quietly. Luciano shook his head and coughed harder. A few seconds later, a few bullets clinked onto the streets.

"Okay, that's better." He said as he popped his neck. "Now, where was I before I was rudely interrupted? Oh yeah, who gets to die first." Luciano cracked his knuckles and stared at the men. Each one of them was shaking with fear. One man even had to hide his wet pants. "No volunteers? Oh well, you will all meet the same fate eventually." He said with a cruel smirk.

"W-What the hell are you standing around for, kill him." Alberto said as he snapped his fingers. The men didn't move. They were frozen to the spot. "Can't you stupid fucks hear me? I said kill him!" Alberto snapped again.

"Boss, he has pink eyes." One man said quietly. Luciano's face became red with anger. He took a new knife from his pocket and ran at the man. The next time he looked down, there was a knife handle deep in his stomach. He coughed up blood and fell forward.

"My eyes aren't pink, they are magenta." He growled. He dragged the blade upwards, spilling blood onto the ground, then kicked him off the knife.

"Um, Luciano, magenta is a shade of pink." Rosita said quietly.

"I don't care, I'm pissed off!" Luciano yelled. Alberto glared at him and raised his gun.

"Now I remember. You wouldn't happen to be related to Feliciano and Lovino Vargas would you?" Alberto asked as he pointed the gun at his head.

"I don't know anyone named Lovino, but Feliciano? We are a lot closer than you might think." He said as he raised the knife.

"Well well well, looks like we caught ourselves a little country. Too bad all of them are dead. You must be the last one. Oh well, we will send you back to your friends soon enough." Alberto snapped his fingers again. Almost all of them men charged towards him. The only ones left with Alberto was the large man with black hair and a shorter man with blond hair and sunglasses.

The battle was a massacre. None of the men stood a chance against Luciano. If they were lucky enough to cut him, it was healed only a minute later. Blood filled the streets just as he had promised before he was shot. The bodies piled up and one by one, Alberto's army began to shrink. Within a matter of minutes, Luciano had won the fight. His body was drenched in blood as he began to walk towards Alberto.

"You are next." He growled. His eyes were dark with rage and fury of an entire nation once ruled by the mafia's injustice.

"No I'm not." Alberto snapped his fingers and the large man stepped forward. The bond man tried to tell him something but Alberto slapped him across the face. "Bruno, kill him!" He shouted. The large man ran towards Luciano with brass knuckles on, but his bulk made him slow. Luciano ducked down and grabbed his legs. As if he were light as a feather, Luciano lifted him into the air and slammed him down on the hard ground. His neck cracked and he died instantly.

"Are you going to send down your next clown or fight me like a man?" Luciano smirked as he began to walk towards Alberto. The boss was scared now. He only had one last trick up his sleeve. He grabbed the blond man and pushed him forward.

"Go, you are my last hope. Exterminate that vermin." Alberto ordered. The blond moved towards Luciano calmly. He whispered something softly.

"Speak up, I want the world to hear you beg for your life." Luciano growled and prepared his knife.

"I said, I am not going to fight you, brother." The blond said. Luciano stopped and stared at him. Slowly the blond reached up and took off his sunglasses. He had ruby red eyes and when he messed with his hair, he had a long curl coming from the right side of his head. "We haven't met in these bodies yet but, when I was reborn, I had this picture in my pocket." The blond reached an arm out to Luciano and handed him a picture. It was his old self with a man looking only a few human years older than him. The only difference between the blond before him and the man in the picture was eye color and hair color, just like Luciano and his old self.

"I-I... I don't understand." Luciano stammered.

"My name is Flavio Vargas. I am southern Italy." He pulled out a separate picture of just his old self. Luciano took it and turned it over. He read the back to himself silently. _Lovino Vargas, Southern Italy_. Luciano felt his knees go weak as he looked at the picture.

"You and me a-are... we're brothers?" He looked at the other man shocked. Flavio nodded slowly and smiled a bit.

"Yeah, its a bit of a shock for me too. I had no idea at first, but then you broke Bruno's grip and said your last name was Vargas. I still had to be sure so I waited until I could see your eyes. I'm glad I did. A fight between two nations? That would have lasted awhile." Flavio let out a small warm laugh.

"Enough with the sentimental bull shit! Flavio, kill him!" Alberto screamed. In a split second Flavio turned his gaze and fired a bullet into his head.

"I was meeting my brother you sick bastard." Flavio glared at the dead body. "Sorry about him. As of today, I am officially resigned." Flavio turned back towards his brother. "And who is this enchanting young woman?" Flavio said as he grabbed Rosita's hand gently. "Hello my darling. You are more lovely than the freshest rose in a sea of average daisies in the springtime-" Flavio's flirting was cut off by his brothers hand hitting him in the back of the head.

"Back off asshole, she is taking me up north." Flavio rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry for trying to get acquainted." He huffed. "Why are you trying to get up north? You should come down south with me. I am trying to make my way down to Naples. That was where I was reborn. Unfortunately, those thugs and ruffians scooped me up before I could protest and I have been stuck with them ever since. It has been a long journey but it lead me to you little brother." Flavio said happily as he forced him into a hug. Luciano screamed and tried to break free, but even with his strength, he couldn't escape the hug of death.

"LET GO OF ME YOU FUCKING IDIOT!" Luciano screamed. Flavio laughed and let him go, making him fall on the ground.

"Aw, sorry little brother." He said helping him up. Luciano glared at him. He was about to hit him when he heard someone laughing. Rosita was on the ground rolling with laughter at the two brothers. The two stared at her for a few moments. Flavio then joined her and busted out laughing. Luciano stared at them and raised an eyebrow.

"You two are so weird." He crossed his arms.

"Its okay Luci, someday that bug up your ass will die and then you can be happy too." Flavio laughed.

"I hate both of you." Luciano mumbled and stared off to the north. There was something bothering him. Something wasn't quite right, but that wouldn't stop him. He had to get up to the north, and nothing was going to stop him.


	5. Survival

Luciano spent the rest of the week catching up with his brother. They shared all that they had learned about their past. Flavio had been revived under similar circumstances. Unlike his little brother, he was discovered by a group of government workers. They were the ones who explained to him his past. They told him about the other lands and his role in the world.

"Everyone said he was usually a nice guy, but he yelled alot and had a bit of a mouth on him when it came to swearing. I don't know how anyone can stand that much negativity." Flavio said dramatically. Luciano rolled his eyes and ate a bit more of the rabbit he had caught. "Oh dear brother, I am so glad I found you. Now together we can pull the nation together again. We can grow stronger and eventually, the other lands will become a part of us. We will be a new nation. A better one. We can become an empire. The men who found me were telling me that our other selves' grandfather was the Roman empire. He had all of Europe under his control. We could do that too you know, we could rule everything."

"You are a fool Flavio." Luciano said quietly. "This world that we live in, it can't take dictatorship rulers. It is so delicate and fragile. Even the slightest shake and it will crash and burn. We need to gather the other nations and restore order first. Then, piece by piece we can rebuild our society." Luciano said in a professional manner. Rosita gave a slight nod. Luciano may have been a bit of a psychopath, but he was a smart one. Flavio shook his head and leaned back.

"Little brother, this world is already broken. We need to fix it as soon as possible or else the pieces are going to shatter more and more. Those men I was with, they killed the first men and women who found me. Do you want to know who exactly was in the group I was with before? Children. They murdered children in front of their mothers like animals. Then, they slowly killed off everyone else. I was the last one left and they saw my eyes. Apparently, Al had known my other self. He bossed him around too so he took me away and forced me into that group of theirs. Every day was hell. I watched as they raped and murdered my own citizens, knowing I couldn't do anything to stop them. They claimed they knew how to kill a nation. There was a special gun or something and they had it. Looking back at it now, I think they were full of bull shit." Flavio said softly. Luciano stood up and slapped the other nation across the jaw.

"Of course they were lying you dumb ass!" He shouted. Fury and rage filled his eyes as he looked down at Flavio. "Were you really that idiotic to think that something as pathetic and weak as a bullet could kill a nation? I can't fucking believe you Flavio. The blood of all of those people is on your hands just as much as that stupid mob boss's. You murdered them Flavio. They died because of you... Alexandra died because of you." Luciano sat down and stared into the small fire. Flavio was trembling with fear as he looked upon his brother. The stories he had heard about the old north Italy all involved his kindness and forgiveness. He was sweet and gentle to everyone. This man was a complete opposite. Then again, he was the complete opposite of his old self too.

"Luciano, do you think that maybe... Just maybe, we were born to be the exact opposites of our old selves? Just think about it, the world failed with them around and tore apart, so maybe, we are mother earths do overs. You know, make them the opposite and see how it goes type of thing. Maybe the others failed because they were too kind. Maybe we will fail because we are too cruel. And maybe, after us, the nations will be perfect. They will be strong enough to carry our world to greatness." Flavio sat in silence after his small speech. Luciano glanced over at him and sighed.

"Do you honestly think everything is going to just turn out okay? We are having to go out into the woods and hunt for rabbits for food. We are never going to finish our journey because we can't even get it started. Flavio, I know what has to be done. We need to find the others. We need to know that it's not just us out here alone in this wilderness. If we can find even just one other nation alive, then we can start anew. The world will never be the same one that our previous selves saw, but we can make it a future that they will regret not seeing. All it takes is one little step." Luciano paused and stood up. "Flavio, I appreciate you finding us and giving us hope that we are not alone, but at the same time, this just gives me more motivation to go out and find others like us. Me and Rosita need to start our journey to Vienna, we are already a few days behind schedule."

"Well then little brother, I guess this is where we part ways." Flavio stood up and faced his sibling. "This isn't the last time you are going to hear from me. While you are off exploring, I am going to go around the cities and find out how many citizens we have left to help rebuild. I promise when you come back, you will have a real proper house to come back too." Flavio said happily. He reached over and hugged his brother. "Now you have to promise me something. Promise me that you will take care of yourself and that human girl you travel with. I want you both back here safe and sound."

"I understand." Luciano said quietly as he awkwardly returned the hug. "Well then, goodbye Flavio Vargas."

"Goodbye Luciano Vargas." Flavio said with a smile. And with that, he walked into the woods, dissolving into the darkness.

Not long after Flavio left, Luciano and Rosita walked away from the small town, leaving it in the distance. They walked for miles and miles without rest. Eventually, they met a few small mountains. With much determination, they climbed. Minutes turned into hours, and hours melted into days. Their clothes were torn and filthy, and their skin was caked with mud. The two were exhausted. No matter how far they walked, it seemed like they were getting nowhere. Eventually, they reached the boarder. The moment Luciano crossed it, he had a strange feeling, like a stray animal that walks into another animals territory.

"Luciano, is everything all right?" Rosita asked quietly, noticing a change about him.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just got the strangest feeling thought. Come on, we should turn in for the night." Luciano said quickly. He walked to a clear spot and began to build a small fire. They gathered a few rabbits and some more herbs and plants and ate. Their stomachs had been empty all day, so the sweet relief of food brightened both of their moods. When the cover of stars was over their heads, they both fell into peaceful sleep, though it would not remain that way.

Rosita twitched slightly as she had a strange dream. She was falling slowly down a dark hole. When she reached the bottom, she was back on the outskirts of Milan. She looked through the desolate dark streets. A cloud of emptiness began to surround her. Shivers ran up her spine. When she turned around, she almost bumped into something. When she looked up, she almost screamed.

A might demon stood before her, fangs drawn and ready for blood. His bumpy green skin was covered in a thick, disgusting mucus. The yellow eyes of his glowed in their sockets. He let out a low growl and smirked at her.

"You are far from your home young lady. May I escort you home?" The demon bowed his head, and in an instant, he changed into the form of a handsome young man. He had dark brown hair that swooped over to one side. His red eyes were hidden behind a pair of red tinted sunglasses. His teeth though, he still had the same, knife-like teeth as the demonic form that she had just seen. Rosita looked at him and shook her head.

"I am sorry sir, but I already have an escort." And with that, Rosita turned away from the demon and started to walk. The fowl creature ran after her.

"Please, I insist. Your escort couldn't make it this evening. He is busy, something got on his mind, he isn't coming. Allow me to escort you home instead." The demon requested as he grabbed her wrist. She pulled away and glared at him.

"Excuse me, but even if my escort could not make it, I can walk myself." She stormed off. The demon grew angry with her. He ran after her yet again and grabbed her wrist tighter. His hands turned back into their true form. His thick red finger nails clawed into her arms. Rosita screamed and tried to escape.

"I insist." The demon growled again. His voice was hoarse and sick sounding. Rosita continued to pull away from him. He was too strong though, no matter what she tried, she couldn't break free.

"Leave me alone!" She shouted. The demon dug his nails deeper into her arms. She let out a scream and kicked him. There was a sick crack as he bones protruded from his leg. Rosita took the opportunity and ran. However, no matter how far she seemed to travel, she never moved from the spot. The demon grabbed her and held her in place by her hair.

"Fine then little girl, lets make a deal. You want to run off with lover boy and be all happily ever after don't you? Well how about this. If you can spot the true me from one of these fake ones, then I will set you free." the demon said with a smirk.

"And what if I lose the bet?" Rosita winced.

"I get to keep you, body and soul." The demon cackled as he grabbed her thigh. She smacked his hand away aggressively. "Alright you wretched little thing, here is your test." The demon dissipated into thin air. Rosita lay on the ground in pain, holding her head.

"Rosita, are you okay?" Said a familiar voice. Luciano came running to her side. As soon as she saw him, Rosita backed away from him.

"Wait, I don't trust you. Tell me something that only you know. Something that you have never told anybody!"Rosita cried out. Before she could get an answer, she awoke from her nightmare. Luciano was standing over her, shaking her shoulder.

"Rosita, wake up, you were having another nightmare." Luciano whispered. The young human looked up at him and threw her arms around his neck. He was caught off guard by the hug and fell down. "I-... umm... okay?" Luciano returned the hug, confused. "Did I do something good?"

"No, of course you didn't!" Rosita cried out as she shoved him away. Luciano sat even more confused that before. "L-Let's just keep walking." Rosita said quietly. She quickly stood up and folded her traveling blanket. "We still have quite a ways to go." She said quietly. The two of them didn't talk much during that days journey. However, about half way through it, they did find a bit of luck. They found the boarder sign for Austria. They at least made it to the next nation.

"Its going to be a few days until we reach the capital isn't it. We should at least try to get a few more miles in before we rest for the night." Luciano said quietly. Rosita just nodded and continued to walk. They hiked until nightfall covered them like a blanket. Rosita built a fire while Luciano hunted for something to eat. Like every other night, they had roasted rabbits.

"Has something been bothering you?" Luciano questioned her.

"What makes you say that?" Rosita looked up from her rabbit, a small glare piercing from her eyes.

"Nothing, it's just that, you haven't really spoken all day. It's odd to not hear you talking." Luciano said quietly. He poked at the ground with his foot like a nervous child.

"I just had a strange dream. It was nothing." Rosita sighed.

"... Do you want to talk about it?" Luciano whispered. He had never been this open before, but after the dream, Rosita couldn't tell him anything. She just shook her head and laid down on her blanket. "Oh, well, goodnight then." Luciano said as he laid down on the other side of the fire. After much resistance, Rosita nodded off into the dream.

"What do you want to know?" Luciano from the dream asked. Rosita shrugged.

"Anything, as long as it is something only you know." She cried. Luciano pulled her close to him and held her. She heard his heart beating and his soft breathing.

"Do you really want to know something that only I would know?" Luciano asked softly. Rosita nodded and buried her head into his shoulder. Luciano bent his head down and whispered gently into her ear. "Rosita, I asked you to come on this journey with me because... I love you." Luciano's lips gently touched her cheek. Rosita felt her face blushing dark red. His touch was so soft and sweet.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. She quickly pulled the knife out of his pocket and plunged it into his heart. He gasped and exploded into a cloud of smoke. "The real Luciano doesn't feel that way about me. I know he doesn't... He can't." He said as she put the knife in her pocket. "Send me your next form demon, I will know that it's you." She called out fearlessly. Just when she was about to face her next test, she woke up.

When she looked around, she couldn't see much. It was still dark out. The fire was nothing but burning embers now. She was just about to call out for Luciano when she felt a hand over her mouth. Quickly, she whipped her head back and saw Luciano. There was a troubled look in his eyes.

"I saw someone in the woods" he whispered "we need to leave immediately." And with that, he stood up and rolled the blankets. Rosita could barely see him moving. He was just a shadow to her at the moment. She was about to start stumbling towards him when she felt his hand grab hers. He took off sprinting, pulling her along behind. They couldn't get caught by whoever or whatever was hiding in the woods near them at the moment.

They ran until sunlight filtered through the trees. The two were exhausted and dehydrated. Poor Rosita felt like she was dying. After two nights of hardly any sleep, then being stalked in the night, she felt like she was going to pass out. When the sun was high in the sky, they stopped for a break. Luciano went and got a bit of food and water for them. Rosita could barely see straight at the moment. Her hands were shaking and her entire body ached.

"We should stop for the rest of the day. You can barely walk." Luciano exclaimed. Rosita shook her head and stood up.

"No, we need to keep going. We will never make it if we keep stopping for me to rest." She took a couple shaky steps, the continued into the woods. Luciano sighed and followed after her. for the next hour or two he kept a close watch on her. Just like he predicted, she collapsed. When he ran over to her, she was unconscious. As quick as he could, he threw the bags on one shoulder and her on the next. He jogged through the woods looking for anywhere that could help. Eventually, the trees vanished and cities took over his view. He couldn't stop though. He didn't trust cities or towns after the first one they stopped at. He kept moving at a quick pace.

After a long, exhausted day, he finally found somewhere they could rest. There was a large mansion outside one of the big cities. It looked old, so he figured it must be abandoned. Just to make sure, he knocked on the door. He was extremely surprised to be greeted by a man about his size. Despite looking like a young man, he had grey hair and a long scar running over one of his crystal blue eyes.

"Can I help you?" The man asked quietly. Luciano adjusted Rosita on his shoulder and nodded.

"Please sir, we have been walking all day. Me and my uh... traveling companion are exhausted. If you could just give us a room for the night we would appreciate it." Luciano begged. The young man looked unsure.

"This isn't my house, but the man who lives here is kind, and I am sure he would be delighted to have company such as yourself." The young man answered. "What is your name stranger?" He asked quietly.

"Luciano Vargas." He replied as he walked in the door. His breath was taken away when he saw the architectural beauty in the home. Dark wood accentuated the lighter marble pieces throughout the house. It was a true masterpiece in the crumbled world.

"You may call me Gilen Beilschmidt. Ah, it seems my dear friend who owns this house is here." Gilen said with a nod.


	6. Truth And Secrets

When Rosita opened her eyes, she was back in her dream. This time, Luciano kept his distance from her.

"Is that you again demon?" She said loudly.

"Wait, you saw him too?" Luciano asked quickly. Rosita's eyes widened. He had seen the demon, so he couldn't be him. She ran over to him and quickly put her hands on his shoulders.

"Tell me something only the really real you would know." She commanded. Luciano thought for a few seconds before something came to his mind.

"I think my older brother is an idiot." He shrugged.

"That isn't good enough. Anyone who has seen you interact with your brother would know you think that, be it human, country, or demon. I need something truly personal." She said quickly. Luciano thought longer about it this time.

"My first love was another boy." Luciano whispered. He looked down at the ground, waiting for her to respond. Instead, he got a knife to the heart.

"Impossible, I was the one who found you in that field and I have been with you ever since." Rosita explained. The false Luciano disappeared in a cloud of thick black smoke.

Rosita awoke from her sleep well rested and relaxed. She smiled into the warm fluffy pillow beneath her bed. It had just been a dream. The war, the bombings, Luciano, it was all just a nightmare. She sat up and yawned happily. But something wasn't right. This bed wasn't hers. Those pillows and those sheets weren't hers. The room wasn't hers, the house wasn't and neither was the country. She stood up and ran to a window. It was night outside. She thought back to the last thing she could remember. It was daylight, and she was tired and hungry. Then, she remembered passing out. That didn't explain how she got there though. Where was she in the first place? She walked down the hall and down a large staircase. At the bottom, she saw a room with lights flickering from underneath the door. The sound of music drifted through the house. When she opened the door, she saw all of the walls were covered in books from the floor to the ceiling. Luciano was sitting in the grand library enjoying a drink.

"Rosita, so kind of you to awaken." Luciano said with a slight smile. He took a drink of the caramel colored liquid then put it down on a small table next to him. Rosita ran over and hugged him.

"Where are we?" She asked quickly. Luciano took out a map and pointed to Vienna.

"We made it. Welcome to Vienna, Austria." He said happily as he took another sip of his drink.

"We are glad you could make it. I do hope you enjoy my estates." Said a voice from behind them. Rosita turned around and screamed. The poor man jumped and looked at her shocked. "My dear woman, are you alright?!" He asked quickly. Rosita was light headed as she looked at him. He looked just like the demon's human form. He even had the knife like teeth.

"Rosita, calm down, I know he looks like a nightmare but, he is our host for the evening." Luciano said in a calm voice.

"My name is Derik Edelstein. I am the nation of Austria, at your service." He said, bowing to her. Everything about him was red. He had red tinted sunglasses like the dream, but he also had a red overcoat, red pants, a red tie, and red boots. The only thing that he was wearing that was another color was his white shirt.

"Rosita, don't be rude, you must speak to our host." Luciano said, a bit embarrassed.

"Oh, do not worry about her Luci, I know I am quite the sight." The older nation said with a sigh. "things are different for me, I know. I am used to it by now." he said with a laugh.

"Since she isn't going to do it, I guess I will take care of introductions. This is Rosita, a human girl who has been helping me travel to get here." Luciano said, giving her a slight pat on the back.

"How excellent. Using a human as a companion. I usually use a couple of young men that I found recently hiding in the woods. You already met Gilen, the nation of Prussia, and he has a troublesome brother somewhere in the house." Derik said with a sigh.

"So Gilen is the nation of Prussia? How interesting. I had no idea. He had blue eyes so I just figured he was a human." Luciano said with a slight shrug.

"Actually, my other self was very unique among the other nations. He had red eyes already." Gilen said with a slight smile as he walked into the room. Rosita looked at him and relaxed a bit. There was something kind and sweet about him. He and Derik walked over and sat in chairs near Luciano. The three talked for quite awhile, when the door opened again.

"And there he is now, Luciano, I would like you to meet Gilen's younger brother, Lutz, the nation of Germany." Derik introduced the young man who walked through the doors. Rosita started to blush the moment she saw him. Despite the poverty facing his home, he was extremely handsome. He was tall and covered in muscle. His blond hair was hidden under a tan cap. When he turned around, they saw that he had dark red eyes. When his eyes fell upon Luciano, he froze up. "Lutz, these are our guests, Rosita, and Luciano Vargas, the nation of Italy." Darik smirked a bit and pulled Gilen and Rosita aside. "Come Gilen, I think we should show Rosita the music room. Surely a woman of her beauty and grace would love to hear some wonderful music." The moment the door closed behind them, the only sound in the room was the record.

"It's good to meet you." Luciano said after a few moments of silence. Lutz looked away and nodded a bit. "Would you like to sit down?" Luciano offered. Lutz nodded a bit again and walked over and sat in the chair next to Luciano. He was so nervous, but he couldn't explain why. He wanted to talk, but the words wouldn't come out. "Derik seems like a good man for taking you and your brother in." Luciano said quietly. Lutz just continued to nod and look down. Luciano looked at him for a few seconds, contemplating something before asking his next question. "Can you speak?" He asked quietly. Lutz's palms were sweating, his face was pink under his hat, and his heart felt like it was going to pound out of his chest.

"Y-Yes" was all he managed to say. Luciano smiled a bit.

"Derik told me your other self and my other self were very close." Luciano said quietly. Without warning, Lutz quickly stood up and walked towards the wall. "Wait, I'm sorry if I said something I wasn't supposed to I just..." Luciano sighed quietly. He wanted to hit himself at the moment. After a few minutes of searching, Lutz found the right book and returned to Luciano. He flipped to a certain page and handed it to him. There was a picture taped into the book. Luciano pulled it out and looked at it. It was a young man who looked identical to Lutz, but his hair was slicked back neatly and his eyes were electric blue. When Luciano turned it over, it read _Ludwig Beilschmidt__, Germany_ on the back. Luciano smiled and handed the picture back, along with his own.

"Feliciano Vargas, North Italy." Lutz read quietly. He looked down at Luciano for the first time since he entered the room. He handed the picture back to him and sat back down. Unlike before, he couldn't take his eyes off of him now.

"Can you tell me something Lutz? Why aren't you back in your own home, same with your brother?" Luciano asked quietly.

"Our home was destroyed during the bombings." Lutz answered. "We were abandoned by our own people and near death until we found this place. The three of us share a lot of the same blood, so its almost as if we all share citizens." Lutz explained. Quickly, he was starting to open up around Luciano. The two talked for hours in the library. When Derik came to tell them it was late, they lied and said they would sleep in a few minutes. They ended up talking until the first rays of light filtered through the window. When they noticed, they laughed together.

"You know, I should at least get a few minutes of sleep." Luciano laughed. Lutz stood up and held a hand out to him.

"Fine then, pansy, I will show you somewhere that you can sleep." Lutz pulled him up and guided him upstairs without letting go of his hand. He opened the door to one of the guest bedrooms.

"I usually sleep in here. Your companion is probably already asleep, I should hope, and it would be rude to wake her." Lutz said with a smile. "You can sleep with me for a few hours." he said as he walked in and closed the door behind them. Luciano took off his shirt and aired it out. Lutz plugged his nose and laughed. "Well I can tell you haven't done much bathing on your travels."

"Shut up, I was lucky I even made it here." Luciano's face turned a light pink as he threw the nasty piece of fabric and Lutz. The two of them laughed and got into bed.

"First thing when we wake up, you are taking a shower." Lutz said.

"No promises." Luciano smirked as he turned away from him. Lutz smiled more and closed his eyes.

"Good morning Luciano." He laughed quietly.

"Shut up and sleep." Luciano laughed with him.

The sun was high in the sky by the time they were woken up. Derik sat in between the two of them with a bell. He ran it as loudly as he could. The two men screamed and feel out of bed.

"Well, it looks like you two got well acquainted last night." Derik said with a smirk. The other two blushed dark red and looked at each other, then at Derik.

"Excuse me old man, but we are still wearing pants. It's not what you think. His partner had already gone to bed and I didn't want him to wake her and-" Lutz's excuse were cut off by Derik.

"Oh yeah yeah, sure I believe you." He said sarcastically as he walked towards the door. "By they way, your breakfast got cold so i fed it to the dogs. Lunch is in one hour." Derik cheerfully skipped through the door.

"I'm sorry about him. He is... different." Lutz said as he scratched the back of his neck. "Come on, you need to take a shower, you smell awful." Lutz smiled.

"No, you smell awful." Luciano said grumpily. He already hated mornings enough, embarrassment was the worst thing for him at the moment. Lutz took him to the bathroom to get cleaned up.

"Here is a towel, the water is still working here. The Austrian citizens are rebuilding their society, and have made great progress thanks to that weird old man." Lutz said as he turned on the water. "So, are you sure you don't need anything else?" Lutz said as he turned around. He blushed dark red when he saw that Luciano was already undressed.

"No, thank you." He said as he slipped into the shower. Lutz stood in the middle of the bathroom, still in shock.

"You um-... you aren't very shy are you?" Lutz said quietly. Luciano poked his head out of the curtain.

"Did you say something?" He asked.

"N-nothing!" Lutz said quickly as he exited the bathroom. A few minutes later, Derik came in with some fresh new clothes for him. Luciano was disgusted by the brown water that ran off his skin. He had no idea that he had been this filthy. In fact, he had never seen himself clean. Ever since he was reborn, he was always covered in mud or dust. After much scrubbing and rinsing, the water finally ran clear again. He stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. The mirror was fogged up, so he couldn't see his reflection. It couldn't be too bad right? He put the clothes on and used a comb to fix his messy hair. Finally, he was ready. He walked down the stairs to the dining room.

"Wow, you look much better than before." Derik said with a smile. "I could just eat you up." He said with a flirtatious smirk.

"That tuxedo looks very nice on you Luciano." Gilen said reassuringly. They were the only two who could speak. Lutz sat in a state of shock, as if he had seen a ghost. Luciano was an entirely different person now. He was stunning, like a diamond that had just been cut, cleaned, and shined.

"Where is Rosita?" Luciano asked when he noticed she wasn't there.

"She is currently cleaning up the same way you just did." Derik answered. Luciano gave a slight nod and walked over to sit next to Lutz. It was just like the night before. Lutz was far too nervous to say anything, and he felt like a fool for it.

"So Lutz... what do you think?" Luciano asked. Lutz stared at him for a few moments before quickly leaving the room. Luciano watched him go, confused and upset by his actions.

"I'm sorry, but my little brother has trouble with... emotions." Gilen said with a slight chuckle. Derik let out a burst of laughter. Tears stung his eyes and cramps shot through his stomach because he was laughing so hard. Luciano stared at them confused for a few minutes before realizing what was going on. As quick as he could, he ran after Lutz, calling his name.

Lutz laid in bed. He didn't know what had come over him, he just knew that he had to get out. Maybe he should just go down and talk to Luciano? No, because he ran away. Luciano didn't want to see him, he was a coward. Lutz sighed into his pillow. Though the pink cheeks and sweating had gone away, his heart had never stopped pounding from the night before. What had come over him?

"Lutz?" Luciano said quietly as he opened the door. "Did I do something wrong?" he questioned. Lutz shook his head. He couldn't even look at him without becoming a nervous wreck. "Can we talk then?" Luciano asked quietly. Lutz nodded his head and sat up a bit. Luciano walked in and sat next to him. "Why did you run?" He asked.

"I-... don't know." Lutz said quietly.

"Did I say something to offend you?" Luciano asked. Lutz shook his head again. "Can you at least look at me so I think you're paying attention?" Luciano requested. Lutz looked up at him. The sweating and pink cheeks accompanied his pounding heart once again. "Lutz... Why did you run?" Luciano asked quietly.

"Because I-..." Lutz started, but he couldn't say it. Luciano leaned forward waiting for an answer. A volcano was beginning to form inside Lutz. It was about to burst at any moment. He quickly hid his face again.

"Please tell me the truth Lutz." Luciano said, scooting a bit closer. Lutz looked up at him for only a few seconds before their eyes met. Instantly, Lutz grabbed his cheeks and pulled him closer. Their lips met passionately. Luciano felt his cheeks and lips burning at the touch. When the kiss was broken, Lutz stared at him silently.

"I have been wanting to do that since I first saw you." Lutz whispered. Luciano gulped a bit and scooted closer to him.

"Y-you know, that kiss kinda caught me off guard... Do you think maybe we could... I don't know... try again? I-I think I'm ready now." Luciano asked. Lutz laughed quietly and nodded. The two leaned towards each other like magnets and kissed sweetly in the middle. Luciano felt Lutz wrap his arms around his waist, so he did the same around his neck. They shared the passionate kiss until they heard the door creak behind them. The two turned around and saw Derik watching from the door.

"O-Oh hi you two... I'm going to just... go tell Gilen that I won the bet. BYE!" Derik said quickly as he sprinted down the stairs. Luciano hid his face in Lutz's chest out of embarrassment. Lutz just laughed it off and held him.

"You get used to him." he said quietly, kissing Luciano's head.

"Well it's a good thing I'm not staying." Luciano mumbled. Lutz felt his heart shatter.

"But... I thought you two were staying for good." Lutz said sadly.

"No, only a few days to rest, then we need to keep searching for more nations." Luciano explained. Lutz held him tighter.

"Please don't leave. Stay here, with me, I know its not much but... but at least it's a home." Lutz said quietly.

"We can't stay here Lutz, I'm sorry. This was just a rest stop for Rosita. We planned that we would stop somewhere for a few days and look for any nations, which we found, then we would leave and go looking some more." Luciano said quietly.

"I know it sounds crazy Luciano considering that we just met and all but, I don't want you to go. I-I..." Lutz stopped himself before he went too far. He just held onto Luciano tightly, not wanting to ever let go.

"Come with us." Luciano said to break the silence. "I don't want to leave you either, but we can't stay here. We have to keep moving and eventually return home." Luciano said quietly. He looked up at Lutz with his brilliant magenta eyes. With Lutz however, he didn't need to even use his eyes. Just asking anything of him was enough. He would follow Luciano to the ends of the earth and to hell and back if he had to.

"Okay, I will go with you two." Lutz said with a slight nod. He kissed Luciano's forehead and smiled.


End file.
